Best server of all time

strategy/tactics/shots

I'm afraid you won't find any answer to your question, but passionnate opinions.
Since serving is one kind of shot to perform tactics, related to strategies...It depends then on what the player aims.
For Roddick it's about getting quick winners, for Nadal just to make the other play each point until tired to play...
I mean your question is a bit like wondering who's got the best lenght of step.
Walking on a rope or a 100m run will involve different answer.
Although I reckon it might be possible to find the best player within a strategy...But who knows how his way to serve contributed to his success ? And again since the materials change in the time to improve the game it could have been someone in the 30's ;oD ?
Morover if you decide speed is a criteria, spin might be too as weel as the capacity for the player to hide his will...so aces or winning points are simply a result from too many factors to state who's the best I guess.

Sampras, arguably, may have had the best overall serve for serveral reasons: 1. He had the greatest ball rotation on his first and second serves; 2. His contact point on the ball was one of the highest at 14 to 16 degrees above equator, creating more of a topspin aspect than just a slice; 3. His speed averaged 120 mph with the highest 1st serve percentage for his speed; 4. His placement and ability to mix up his serve, his depth and ability to follow his serve to the net certainly adds to his serve.

This is just some substantiation for my opinion. It is still only an opinion. There are plenty of other great servers out there. Johannsen, Roddick, Fed, could be included here as well.

speed, spin, percentages

I reckon speed and spin are 2 criteria to evaluate the quality of a serve.
If it obvious on grass...It's not enough on clay.
To illustrate, Roddick, Sampras and even Federer never impressed anyone in the french open with their serves (although I wouldn't be the one returning ;-P ).
Kick and high percentage of serves in is often the weapon used to get the french open.
Despite an average serve, Bjorg could adapt his serve in order to win the french or the british open. But can't remember him trying an ace on clay, it was closer to 2 second balls.
Last exemple, Nadal who's serve speed is about the same as the best female's serve but his percentage in the 2006's french open final was over 80% of first serves...
A weapon is only as good as its contribution to the winning strategy.
Sorry for this "no answer".

Well it depends really...Andy roddick has one of the fastest serves around more than 200km. People like Federer or maybe Nadal can get the ball easily over. It's pretty much hard to answer and I don't remember any of the other old tennis players like Rod Laver.

The best server of all time? That's a huge question and how do you judge it? One of the best servers in the game right now is Roger Federer. His serve is not the fastest, but his placement is impeccable. The key point about Roger's serve though is that he can hit a variety of serves from the same ball toss. The receiver doesn't know what he is getting. Now, that is class.

THe answer is simple. By best do you mean more conistent, powerful or diverse. Roddick has the fastest serve. Sampras has the most consistent serve. But i must say roddick's serve can be quite consistent AT TIMES also. Sampras gets a higher percentage second serve in but it also means that todays players will take more of a whack on his second serve. ANd marat safin and a few others AT TIMES can slam his first serve. (not many though)

Among the players I have watched, Sampras gets the nod. He could ace you with his second serve...his second serve was as good as most guys' first serve! It would almost always get him out of trouble....Sampras, like Federer, had great placement with his serve...he gets my vote.